Game Preview: Rapids vs Toronto

COMMERCE CITY, CO – The Colorado Rapids return home to Dick's Sporting Goods Park for their second home match of 2010 on Sunday, April 13 as they face off against Toronto FC for this first time this season; kickoff is set for 3:00pm.

The Rapids enter the match with a 1-1-1 record on 4 points. Before coming to Colorado, Toronto has their home opener on Thursday against Philadelphia. Going into that game, Toronto is a 0-2-0, having lost their first two games, both on the road, by a margin of 6-1.

Sunday’s game will be broadcast live on KWGN Channel 2 live both over the air and in high definition.

Notes for Sunday's match:

Colorado head into the game with Toronto after suffering their first loss of 2010 last weekend by a score of 1-0 at Kansas City. The Wizards' Kei Kamara scored a header off a free kick in the 48th minute for the lone tally. The Rapids have surrendered three goals in three games this season, with all three coming off set pieces: one corner kick, one penalty kick, and one off a free kick.

Toronto enter the match coming off back-to-back road losses to begin the year. They lost 0-2 at Columbus in week one, and then saw New England Revolution rookie Zack Schilawski score three times against them in a 4-1 loss last Saturday in the Revs' home-opener.

Colorado and Toronto have met six times since the Canadian side joined Major League Soccer in 2007. The Rapids' record versus Toronto is 2-4-0, with both victories coming at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. The teams split the 2009 series by each winning their home contest.

With his next goal, Conor Casey will move into a third place tie on the club’s all-time goalscoring charts. Casey has scored 30 goals in 63 games; the man he is chasing, Chris Henderson, scored 31 goals in 178 games. Paul Bravo (39 goals in 135 games) and John Spencer (37 goals in 88 games) rank first and second, respectively.

Omar Cummings is also moving up the team’s goal-scoring charts. Cummings has scored 18 goals in 68 games for the Rapids, tying him with Ross Paule (111 games). The Jamaican’s next goal will tie him for 8th place all-time with Chris Carrieri, who scored 19 in 69 games.

The Rapids will be without the services of defender Julien Baudet against Toronto due to a one-game suspension. Baudet, making his first start of the year against Kansas City, was shown a red card in the second half of the 1-0 loss.

Sunday could be newly-acquired Argentine forward/midfielder Claudio Lopez’s first MLS game for the Rapids. The veteran of two World Cups received his P-1 visa late last week and is now eligible for selection.

Another new addition, forward Quincy Amarikwa, could also see his first action at home for the Rapids. Amarikwa, who was acquired in a trade with San Jose on April 7, made his Rapids debut as a second half substitution at Kansas City.

With his 90 minutes played against Kansas City, Rapids Team Captain Pablo Mastroeni moved past Marcelo Balboa for the second most minutes played in a Rapids kit. Mastroeni has played 13,451 minutes, 72 more than Balboa’s 13,379. The all-time club leader is Chris Henderson with 14,784 minutes. For reference, 13,451 minutes is 224.20 hours in a Rapids jersey, or 9.34 days.

Rapids forwards Conor Casey and Omar Cummings are the only two players on either team to have appeared in all six meetings between the two sides. Casey has scored twice against Toronto. He played two games for Toronto in 2007 before the Rapids traded for him on April 19 of that year.

Besides Casey, the Rapids and Toronto have seen several other players wear both jerseys. On March 25, 2010, the Rapids acquired defender Marvell Wynne from Toronto in exchange for midfielder Nick LaBrocca. That was the third trade between the two sides in the last three months. In January, the Rapids sent midfielder Jacob Peterson to Toronto in exchange for allocation money, and in February, the club sent defender Ty Harden to Canada for Toronto’s 3rd round pick in the 2011 SuperDraft. Toronto then signed former Rapids defender Dan Gargan as a free agent. Lastly, Toronto signed former Rapids player Adrian Cann on Monday of this week.

Toronto made several changes to their team after the 2009 season. For the third time in four games, the Rapids will face a team with a new head coach. Preki, who coached Chivas USA the past three seasons, is Toronto’s new manager. Besides Wynne, the team also no longer counts on the services of midfielder Amado Guevara, Jim Brennan, Carl Robinson, and Adrian Serioux, as well as forward Ali Gerba. However, star midfielders Dwayne DeRosario and Julian De Guzman backbone a hard-working lineup.

Tickets are still available for this Sunday's game; fans can buy tickets online at the TicketHorse official website by clicking here.

GAME PROMOTIONS FOR SUNDAY'S MATCH

-Rapids Family Night Pack: it's one of the most unbeatable deals in sports for the whole family! For Sunday's game fans can purchase the Rapids Family Night Pack, which includes 4 game tickets, 4 sodas and 4 personal pizzas, all for only $79. Don't miss out on this great way to bring your whole family to the stadium and feed them for one great low price! Order your Rapids Family Night Pack for Sunday online by clicking here.

-Rapids Supporters Terrace: Rapids fans who attended Opening Day got the chance to bear witness to the historic unveiling of the club's brand new Supporters Terrace! Boasting an authentic soccer experience and unparalleled proximity to the pitch, the Rapids Supporters Terrace has established itself as one of the most unique fan sections in the USA. Season tickets for the remainder of 2010 are available in the Terrace for only $204, and single game tickets are also available. Book your Terrace spot for Sunday's match online here.

-15th Anniversary Celebrations Continue: At every home game of the 2010 season, RapidsTV will be presenting an in-depth look back at a designated year of the club's 15 seasons. At this game, the club re-visits 1997; get to the stadium early to watch this anniversary year video recap on the RapidsVision! Additionally, one lucky fan will get the chance to play Rapids trivia at halftime based on the season recap video for the chance to win tickets to the 2010 Mile High Music Festival!

-"Play Clean" on Sunday: In honor of this Rapids match being the closest home game to Earth Day, the Rapids will host the club's annual Play Clean day at the stadium. Look for special booths on the concourse educating fans about recycling and earth-friendly programs, and a special halftime contest presented by the EPA and the Rocky Mountain Greener Venues program!

-Season Ticket Holder Scarves: All of the Rapids' 2010 Full Season Ticket Holders this year will receive an exclusive Colorado Rapids scarf! Full Season Ticket Holders, if you missed picking yours up on Opening Day, not to worry, you can still redeem your voucher for your free scarf at this Sunday's game. Just bring your voucher to the stadium and redeem atop the sections as listed in your season ticket mailing!

-Non-Perishable Donations: The Colorado Rapids and COMPA Ministries will collect non-perishable food items prior to the Rapids vs. Toronto FC on Sunday, April 18. Every family donating will receive a Buy One, Get One free ticket voucher to a 2010 Rapids home game. The non-perishable food items will be collected outside gates B and G 1.5 hours prior to kick-off.

Founded in 1981, COMPA assists hunger relief agencies in the community through its innovative programs distributing perishable and non-perishable food to those people in need on a daily basis. The non-profit organization supports individuals and agencies regardless of race, religious or ethnic affiliation.

- Autographed Player Banners to Support Kroenke Sports Charities: Visit the Colorado Rapids Community Relations table atop section 129 through the 50th minute and make a $40 donation to Kroenke Sports Charities. In return for your donation, you will receive an autrographed 2009 street banner featuring: Pablo Mastroeni, Conor Casey, Colin Clark, Omar Cummings, Kosuke Kimura, or Mehdi Ballouchy. Banners are limited so do not miss your chance to own a piece of the club's advertising; supports Kroenke Sports Charities and programs to help underserved children and families.